Focused Passage

Acts 6:8-15

Word Ministry, Servant Leadership, and Stephen’s Faithful Witness

The growing church addresses neglected widows through Spirit-qualified servant leadership, the word continues to spread, and Stephen’s grace-filled witness provokes hostile opposition.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

8Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

9But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,

10but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

11Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”

12So they stirred up the people, elders, and scribes and confronted Stephen. They seized him and brought him before the Sanhedrin,

13where they presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.

14For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”

15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 8

Original words

NowδὲG1161ConjunctionStephenΣτέφανοςG4736Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular[who was] fullπλήρηςG4134Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularof graceχάριτοςG5485Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionpowerδυνάμεωςG1411Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularwas performingἐποίειG4160Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulargreatμεγάλαG3173Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralwondersτέραταG5059Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionsignsσημεῖαG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralamongἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularpeopleλαῷG2992Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

ButδέG1161Conjunctionresistance aroseἀνέστησανG450Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-τινεςG5100Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralfromἐκG1537PrepositionwhatτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularwas calledλεγομένηςG3004Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Feminine Singular[the] SynagogueσυναγωγῆςG4864Noun - Genitive Feminine Singularof theτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularFreedmenΛιβερτίνωνG3032Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralincludingκαὶG2532ConjunctionCyreniansΚυρηναίωνG2956Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural-καὶG2532ConjunctionAlexandriansἈλεξανδρέωνG221Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionmenτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralfromἀπὸG575Preposition[the provinces of] CiliciaΚιλικίαςG2791Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionAsiaἈσίαςG773Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularThey disputedσυζητοῦντεςG4802Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralwithτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularStephenΣτεφάνῳG4736Noun - Dative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Literally and those from Cilicia and Asia; the Roman Province of Asia was located in what is now western Turkey.
Verse 10

Original words

[but]καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐκG3756Adverbthey could notἴσχυονG2480Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralstand up toἀντιστῆναιG436Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active[his]τῇG3588Article - Dative Feminine SingularwisdomσοφίᾳG4678Noun - Dative Feminine Singular[or]καὶG2532ConjunctiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularSpiritΠνεύματιG4151Noun - Dative Neuter Singularby whomG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Neuter Singularhe spokeἐλάλειG2980Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 11

Original words

ThenΤότεG5119Adverbthey promptedὑπέβαλονG5260Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural[some] menἄνδραςG435Noun - Accusative Masculine Pluralto sayλέγονταςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionWe heardἈκηκόαμενG191Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural[Stephen]αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularspeakλαλοῦντοςG2980Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine SingularwordsῥήματαG4487Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof blasphemyβλάσφημαG989Adjective - Accusative Neuter PluralagainstεἰςG1519PrepositionMosesΜωϋσῆνG3475Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singular[against] GodΘεόνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 12

Original words

[So]τεG5037Conjunctionthey stirred upσυνεκίνησάνG4787Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularpeopleλαὸνG2992Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunction-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluraleldersπρεσβυτέρουςG4245Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralscribesγραμματεῖςG1122Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunctionconfronted [Stephen]ἐπιστάντεςG2186Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralThey seizedσυνήρπασανG4884Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralhimαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctionbrought [him]ἤγαγονG71Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralbeforeεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularSanhedrinσυνέδριονG4892Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Or the Council; also in verse 15
Verse 13

Original words

[where]τεG5037Conjunctionthey presentedἜστησάνG2476Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralfalseψευδεῖςG5571Adjective - Accusative Masculine PluralwitnessesμάρτυραςG3144Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural[who] saidλέγονταςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine PluralThisοὗτοςG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularmanἄνθρωποςG444Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbnever stopsπαύεταιG3973Verb - Present Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularspeakingλαλῶνG2980Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .ῥήματαG4487Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralagainstκατὰG2596Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularthisτούτουG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularholyἁγίουG40Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularplaceτόπουG5117Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunction[against] theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularlawνόμουG3551Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 14

Original words

ForγὰρG1063Conjunctionwe have heardἀκηκόαμενG191Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person PluralhimαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularsayλέγοντοςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine SingularthatὅτιG3754Conjunction-οὗτοςG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularofG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularNazarethΝαζωραῖοςG3480Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwill destroyκαταλύσειG2647Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthisτοῦτονG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularplaceτόπονG5117Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionchangeἀλλάξειG236Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralcustomsἔθηG1485Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralthatG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralMosesΜωϋσῆςG3475Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhanded downπαρέδωκενG3860Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto usἡμῖνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

AllπάντεςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralwhoοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralwere sittingκαθεζόμενοιG2516Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularSanhedrinσυνεδρίῳG4892Noun - Dative Neuter Singular-ΚαὶG2532Conjunctionlooked intentlyἀτενίσαντεςG816Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralatεἰςG1519Preposition[Stephen]αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular[and] they saw thatεἶδονG3708Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingularfaceπρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular[was] likeὡσεὶG5616Adverb[the] faceπρόσωπονG4383Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof an angelἀγγέλουG32Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.